The Texas Farm Bureau board of directors recently met with representatives from Texas State Technical College to announce TFB’s investment in scholarship funds at TSTC’s 10 statewide campuses.

Special to The Flash

(Waco, Texas)– Looking to careers that help build communities, Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) is investing an initial $35,000 in scholarship funds to help its members achieve their dreams at Texas State Technical College (TSTC).

“Not everyone is going to attend a university and pursue a four-year degree,” TFB President Russell Boening said. “We’ve got a lot of folks who have kids who want to go to a technical college.”

The Texas Farm Bureau board of directors recently met with representatives from Texas State Technical College to announce TFB’s investment in scholarship funds at TSTC’s 10 statewide campuses.

The TSTC system has 10 campuses across the state, offering degrees in a variety of fields from agricultural technology to biology, culinary arts, diesel equipment and welding.

“We strive to meet the needs of our membership. This is one way we can do that,” Boening, a Wilson County farmer, said.

To help as many students as possible, TSTC is matching $25,000 of TFB’s donation.
The scholarship funding will be used in three different ways.

“The first is going to be for students who are entering college for their first year. Tuition is generally $2,000 per semester, and the scholarship will be for $1,000,” Boening said.

A percentage of the funding will also be used for a “helping hands” scholarship. The fund is meant to help students with unexpected costs that are not usually covered by traditional scholarships.

“Maybe they’re behind on rent for their apartment. Maybe they need to pay an electric bill. A little bit of money would make the difference between them staying in school or dropping out,” Boening said.

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To help students stay in school, there will also be a scholarship for TFB members entering their second year at TSTC.

“According to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, almost half of all students who attend college drop out before ever getting a degree. TSTC is making sure its students do not become part of that grim statistic,” Beth Wooten, vice president of Institutional Advancement for the TSTC Foundation, said.

TFB members may apply for the scholarship through their TSTC campus.

TSTC campuses are located in Abilene, Breckenridge, Brownwood, Fort Bend County, Harlingen, Marshall, North Texas, Sweetwater, Waco and Williamson County.

“The relationship between TFB and TSTC is a natural one. We both serve all of Texas, support Texans at all stages of their careers and we share a common goal-to help our state prosper and our citizens thrive. We’re honored to partner with TFB to invest in Texas students,” Adam Hutchison, TSTC Provost, said.